The former Wages Council chairman Father Kevin Barr has commended the government’s effort to set up a minimum wage baseline for workers in Fiji. Based on the findings of the National Minimum Wage Baseline Survey, two dollars and thirty two cents an hour is now the proposed minimum wage. Barr says the new proposed rate Read more
Mega-rich people are flocking to New Zealand after immigration rules were relaxed for people with at least $10 million to spend. The change in 2009 has led to a surge in seriously rich people gaining New Zealand residency and most don’t need any business experience or English language expertise. More than 100 people have been Read more
A New Zealand Herald investigation into First XV rugby in Auckland shows that five schools are estimated to be spending more than $400,000 collectively on their respective First XVs while the other seven teams in the 1A competition are spending collectively about $50,000. Auckland’s Sacred Heart estimates total annual expenditure on its First XV to be Read more
My Facebook newsfeed in recent days has been filled with exciting stories and photos about World Youth Day (WYD)—which ended today with a Mass in Rio. Yet again, we have had some amazing quotes from Pope Francis on his visit to Brazil reminding us about the church’s social and ethical obligations towards the poor. However, Read more
he top four most important economic issues cited by Americans today are the lack of jobs (26%), the budget deficit (17%), the rising cost of health care (18%), and the increasing gap between the rich and poor (15%). About 1-in-10 say that social security (9%) or the rising costs of education (9%) is the country’s Read more
There is no better way to channel the mind-bending logic of 18th century thinkers on poverty (men who we can assume were not poor themselves, by virtue of the fact that history remembers them) than to simply quote their words. Meet Philippe Hecquet, a well-known French doctor speaking in 1740: The poor … are like Read more
Last Tuesday members of the Holy Family Catholic Women’s League in Labasa, Fiji, hosted social worker Selina Lee-Wah to lunch to acknowledge her achievement. Two months ago President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau conferred the Order of Fiji on Lee-Wah in recognition of her distinguished service of a high degree to humanity at large in the country. Read more
Catholic bishops’ conferences in the G8 nations have urged G8 leaders “to take steps to improve nutrition, reduce hunger and poverty, and strengthen just tax, trade and transparency policies for the common good of all”. “In a world that has made great strides in improving food production and distribution, far too many of God’s children Read more
Struggling families could be left without TV reception when South Auckland goes digital. The region and other parts of the North Island will be among the last in the country to move from analogue television to the new system in December. That means households without a UHF aerial face a bill of at least $200 Read more
A hostel for vulnerable women and children in Palmerston North is to close because the Salvation Army says it is not financiallyviable and the money will be better spent on other services. Captain Allan Clark, in charge of the Salvation Army of Palmerston North corps, said the women’s hostel would shut by the end of Read more